Halme, a professional boxer by training, achieved fame on the Finnish version of the Gladiators television franchise.
He was notorious for his outspoken opinions, and served for one term as a Member of Parliament of the populist True Finns party after winning a landslide of personal votes in the Parliamentary elections of 2003. In his campaign, he put a special emphasis on opposition to more immigration.
Later in 2003 he was hospitalised following an incident in which he had fired a pistol in his Helsinki apartment, apparently while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The incident brought him a suspended prison sentence and a fine.
In October last year he was arrested for driving while under the influence of illegal drugs. Charges were still pending in the incident when he died.